Mega Man 9 Review I found knocking about

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Jazzem
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PostMega Man 9 Review I found knocking about
by Jazzem » Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:07 pm

Just found this on my hard drive and thought I might as well share it. It's a submission I made to be a reviewer on http://www.nintendolife.com, but alas I didn't get in. I'm kind of glad looking back actually, such a role would have been a bit of a time-sucking commitment!

Anyway, give it a read:

It's been over twenty years since Capcom released Mega Man. Since then, the franchise has become a gaming phenomenon, spawning dozens of sequels and spin offs (including the infamous Mega Man Soccer on SNES) and establishing Mega Man himself one of the most recognizable icons of the gaming world. However, long-time fans will always hold the NES instalments as their favourites, citing the reflex-intensive gameplay and catchy 8-bit tunes as vital ingredients of the prolific series.

Someone at Capcom seems to agree, as the franchise's latest release comes in the form of Mega Man 9. No more than three enemies ever appear at once, a measly four channels are used for sound output and a whole sixteen colours can be displayed on screen. It's quite fascinating; in being technically unambitious, Capcom have released one of their most daring games to date. We've seen games in predominately retro genres here and there in recent times, but for a game to entirely adopt the 8-bit style of the past? That takes some guts.

So what of the gameplay itself? Well, once again Mega Man must face eight 'robot masters' to clear, with some more levels to follow afterwards. Each robot master has a stage filled with traps, enemies and platforming challenges the player must overcome, followed by an encounter with the robot master himself (Or in the case of Splash Woman, herself). Defeating a robot master will grant the player his or her special power, and therein lies the genius of Mega Man's level structure. Concrete Man proving too difficult? Try a few other stages, get granted a few new weapons and give him another go. Mega Man gameplay has always encouraged experimentation, encouraging the player to try out new levels and weapons, and 9 follows the tradition unapologetically and with pride.

It's typical Mega Man, perfect for series veterans itching for new levels to play, while allowing newcomers to be introduced to the formula for the first time. But with eight other 'main' games in the series, what makes 9 so special? Well, 9's basic formula may not be new, but the stages boast some incredibly creative designs that think outside the box. Enemies and traps are placed intricately so that the player can't just mindlessly blast through, they have to consider their position, their weapon, their movement, the whole lot. Mega Man 9 isn't just an action game, it's a thinking man's game.

And make no mistake, it's a hard game. Not impossibly so, but no one should go in expecting to finish the quest in one day. It's perhaps the game's only potential flaw, depending on who you talk to. I personally love the challenge the game provides, but some understandably aren't going to get on with the repeated deaths and Game Over screens. Patience and preservation are rewarded, and there is an in game shop providing extra power ups, but it's something that buyers considering the game should keep in mind.

It is also incredibly successful in emulating an 8-bit NES game. The tunes could have come straight out of the grey box, impressive given the incredibly distinctive sound of the system, and graphically (With perhaps the exception of smooth screen fade ins) it's a game that could've been made in 1988. The art style is classic and nostalgic, and the music compositions are excellent and make fine use of the 'limited' resources. Capcom have done a good job here.

Mega Man 9 does boast new features however: time attack mode, 'challenges', leaderboards and downloadable content. Given how suitable Mega Man games are for speed runs, time attack is an excellent addition that's sure to add value to an already substantial purchase. The challenges adopt the achievement system seen on the Xbox 360 and encourage the player to “finish the game in 120 minutes” or “beat Concrete Man in ten seconds”. They range from insignificantly easy to unbelievably hard, and make for fun, optional targets for the player to beat, which also ties in to placing on the high score online leaderboards. Downloadable content is a mixed bag; it is nice to have extra available content, but the pricing is questionable and not all new features are worth it depending on who you ask. I would personally recommend endless mode and the extra stage however.

Mega Man 9 may not be a technical arthouse, nor is it the most deep in scope. It is however a fantastic game, respecting the classics it emulates while implementing new clever, intricate designs. Whether it's better than other games in the series is down to personal preference, but one thing's for sure; Mega Man 9 is Capcom at the top of their (8-Bit) game.

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Christopher
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PostRe: Mega Man 9 Review I found knocking about
by Christopher » Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:13 pm

Mega Man 9 is the best Mega Man since Mega Man 3 :wub:

I want more games released like this.


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